Sea Training

[Nutty]

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OK lads on what ship and where did you go when completing your two weeks sea training, plus if you so feel like it what did you do in "part of ship" while your sister class was away Sea Training.



Me, HMS Venus May or June 1962 Sailed from Portsmouth up to the Kiel Canal. Transited the Canal and spent about five days at Keil Week Regatta, fabulous, then completed the return trip to Pompey. We 37 Class Drake Div. dis-embarked and 38 Class Drake Div. joined HMS Venus and spent two weeks chasing either Hermes or Bulwark up and down the Channel as Plane Guard. O! how we laughed when they got back.

Nutty

 

[grefs]

HMS Ulster, early 1967 can't remember exactly when, sailed from Portsmouth the first and only time I ever slung a hammock and slept in one. We went on a visit to somewhere in Holland, Flushing I think, but could be wrong, that long ago memory a bit fuzzy, and return trip. Class 496 Hawke Div.

 

[Maxi_77]

1965 DTS cruise to West Africa HMS Torquay, we had quite a few 'New Commonwealth' cadets from Ghana and Nigeria at BRNC at the time.

Peter

 

[Nutty]

1965 DTS cruise to West Africa HMS Torquay, we had quite a few 'New Commonwealth' cadets from Ghana and Nigeria at BRNC at the time.

Peter

Maxi

Strange your comment about Cadets from West Africa. I was on Tenby DTS July 64 to July 65. Guess where our Cruise Jan 64 to April 64 was. Yes West Africa must have been a sales tour.

Nutty

 

[whitemouse]

HMS Scott, coverted minelayer I think :?: in the North Sea on seamanship duties.

After the initial gaining of Sealegs, learnt how, very well, to use a chipping hammer (and annoying the ships company in the mess beneath!!)

Couldn't get the hang (no pun) of slinging a hammock - so ended up doing the camp (DEFINITELY no pun !!!) bed irons.

Enjoyed immensely conning a ship, doing a fairly good job or so I thought, then the QM showed me the view of the stern wake - snakey..... ! appears I was not too good at keeping the course reasonably straight .

Did a further week or so on the Mighty Vic in Pompey when in PT3 Dusty training, learning how to hump and dump stores when everyone else was off ashore.

 

[whitemouse]

Nutty,

Should have added this was 1962 also, can't remember the month though, and was in Grenville 23 / 49 recruitment.

 

[Maxi_77]

1965 DTS cruise to West Africa HMS Torquay, we had quite a few 'New Commonwealth' cadets from Ghana and Nigeria at BRNC at the time.

Peter

Maxi

Strange your comment about Cadets from West Africa. I was on Tenby DTS July 64 to July 65. Guess where our Cruise Jan 64 to April 64 was. Yes West Africa must have been a sales tour.

Nutty

Do you remeber the impromptu stop in the Cape Verde Islands when one of us had evap problems and needed to top up with water.

Peter

 

[NozzyNozzer]

Couldn't get the hang (no pun) of slinging a hammock - so ended up doing the camp (DEFINITELY no pun !!!) bed irons.

Didn't you do Hammock Class in Ganges, slinging them from hooks secured in wooden frame things, then taught to turn in to them (talk about difficult) and out of them again?

 

[higthepig]

Piece of cake for us oldies as long as the stretchers are there.

 

[Maxi_77]

I certainly had no problems, then, though I suspect that I would not find it quite so easy to manouevre my unfit overweight bulk into one today.

Peter

 

[Nutty]

1965 DTS cruise to West Africa HMS Torquay, we had quite a few 'New Commonwealth' cadets from Ghana and Nigeria at BRNC at the time.

Peter

Maxi

Strange your comment about Cadets from West Africa. I was on Tenby DTS July 64 to July 65. Guess where our Cruise Jan 64 to April 64 was. Yes West Africa must have been a sales tour.

Nutty

Do you remeber the impromptu stop in the Cape Verde Islands when one of us had evap problems and needed to top up with water.

Peter

Yes one of Gods forsaken places at that time a dry barren place occupied by rather scrawny locals all ruled by the Portugese. Now a holiday destination and a place to by a home in the sun I am told.

One run ashore was plenty.

Nutty

PS Sorry date should having been Jan 65 to April 65 having a Senior moment

 

[janner]

HMS Ulster, early 1967 can't remember exactly when, sailed from Portsmouth the first and only time I ever slung a hammock and slept in one. We went on a visit to somewhere in Holland, Flushing I think, but could be wrong, that long ago memory a bit fuzzy, and return trip. Class 496 Hawke Div.

I'm amazed the Ulster was still afloat in 1967, I was on her in 63/64 for West Indies trip and we had to keep concreting up the holes that appeared in the bottom.

 

[Maxi_77]

1965 DTS cruise to West Africa HMS Torquay, we had quite a few 'New Commonwealth' cadets from Ghana and Nigeria at BRNC at the time.

Peter

Maxi

Strange your comment about Cadets from West Africa. I was on Tenby DTS July 64 to July 65. Guess where our Cruise Jan 64 to April 64 was. Yes West Africa must have been a sales tour.

Nutty

Do you remeber the impromptu stop in the Cape Verde Islands when one of us had evap problems and needed to top up with water.

Peter

Yes one of Gods forsaken places at that time a dry barren place occupied by rather scrawny locals all ruled by the Portugese. Now a holiday destination and a place to by a home in the sun I am told.

One run ashore was plenty.

Nutty

PS Sorry date should having been Jan 65 to April 65 having a Senior moment

They come all to often these days. I did do an even shorter stop there 20 odd years ago, refuelling stop on the way to South Africa, fortunately they didn't let us off the plane. They are certainly not at the top of the list of places I want to go back to.

Peter

 

[whitemouse]

Couldn't get the hang (no pun) of slinging a hammock - so ended up doing the camp (DEFINITELY no pun !!!) bed irons.

Didn't you do Hammock Class in Ganges, slinging them from hooks secured in wooden frame things, then taught to turn in to them (talk about difficult) and out of them again?

Yep - took some time to get it right but I still preferred the campbed though, as I couldn't over the feeling of being cocooned.
And at least you didn't have far to fall if the bed gave way !!
My old man (85 years of age) still swears they were the bees knees

 

[Nutty]

Couldn't get the hang (no pun) of slinging a hammock - so ended up doing the camp (DEFINITELY no pun !!!) bed irons.

Didn't you do Hammock Class in Ganges, slinging them from hooks secured in wooden frame things, then taught to turn in to them (talk about difficult) and out of them again?

Yep - took some time to get it right but I still preferred the campbed though, as I couldn't over the feeling of being cocooned.
And at least you didn't have far to fall if the bed gave way !!
My old man (85 years of age) still swears they were the bees knees

I spent just over two and half years dossing in a hammock on Loch Killisport and Tenby. The only problem was putting it up when pissed, if your mess mates had forgotten and lashing it up with a stinking hang over in the morning. Normal prctice was to sling all the hammocks of lads ashore but not unlash them.

Very warm, very comfortable, very stable.

Nutty